Longleaf Fitness Center | Jacksonville, Florida, USA
OUTDOOR GYM PLANNING
How to build an outdoor calisthenics gym
Key steps to consider when building an outdoor calisthenics park
Building an outdoor calisthenics gym in your city will promote physical activity and an overall healthy lifestyle for community members. However, creating one of these spaces requires careful consideration and planning. To fully understand the factors involved in a typical calisthenics park design, follow our step-by-step guide. From budgeting and design to equipment selection and maintenance, here are seven key steps to consider in your outdoor calisthenics park build:
Budget and funding
Planning and design
Users and target audience
Site preparation, installation, and surfacing
Calisthenics equipment
Safety, landscaping, and signage
Maintenance services
What are the benefits of a calisthenics park?
Calisthenics is a dynamic, bodyweight-focused form of exercise that offers many benefits. With calisthenics, you bring the most vital equipment: your body. By focusing on movements that utilize your own bodyweight, you build strength, endurance, and overall fitness. As such, calisthenics requires minimal equipment and can be performed anywhere. However, equipment can improve efficiency and allow for more and better workouts, promoting better public health. Thus, installing calisthenics parks can be seen as one of the most cost-effective ways of improving the health and happiness of a whole community.
Step 1
Budget and funding
The first step in building your outdoor calisthenics gym is establishing the budget as this will dictate your project's overall design and size. During this phase, it's a good idea to spend some time exploring and researching funding opportunities. Funding options such as grants, sponsorships, and community contributions can add resources to your project and are worth considering before setting your budget.
It's also important to understand the various factors involved in the cost of an outdoor calisthenics gym; the size of your site, type of equipment, landscaping, site preparation, installation, and site amenities will all drive the cost up or down. Compliance with local regulations, permits, inspections, ongoing equipment maintenance, and potential replacements can also add additional expenses to your project.
To ensure a realistic budget and accurate estimate, please consult your local sales consultant or fitness expert.
Step 2: Planning and design
Once you have your estimated budget in place, you can start planning and designing the build of your outdoor calisthenics park.
In the planning phase, fundamental ideas such as the objective of your site, target users and needs, and the available space need to be clarified. This step often goes hand in hand with step 1, as a carefully thought-out plan will attract funding and business investors. Assessing your project scope in terms of social, economic, and environmental factors in the community will also appeal to investors or funding partners.
Step 3: Users and target audience
A large part of the planning phase is understanding your core users and their needs, so you may want to treat it as its own step.
Understanding your audience and what they want out of an outdoor calisthenics park involves investigating the members of your community and the surrounding area. It's a good idea to not only observe but also listen. Spending a considerable amount of time hearing directly from community members will make them feel valued and included. By doing so, you ensure your park's success.
Step 4: Site prep and installation
Now that you have an approved budget and design, by both funding partners and community members, it's time to break ground on your site.
Before moving into the installation phase, however, you must inspect your site to prepare the grounds and stay clear of any hidden obstacles. This entails a subsoil evaluation, drainage analysis, and a thorough assessment of any underground items that may hinder your project. Taking the time to inspect your site before installation is not only necessary but can save you from many worries, time delays, and unnecessary costs.
step 5
Calisthenics equipment
When choosing equipment for your outdoor calisthenics park, it's important to make sure your equipment meets safety requirements first and foremost. Durability is equally important. Then, consulting with a fitness expert on the topic of calisthenics exercise will guide your project in the right direction. Here are some common types of equipment used for a typical outdoor calisthenics gym:
Parallel bars
Overhead ladder
Pull-up station
Dip bench
Sit-up bench
Push-up bars
All KOMPAN Street Workout products are simple but offer a comprehensive, full-body workout. They're also highly durable and built to stand the test of time. Additionally, we offer all-in-one calisthenics equipment packages – you can learn more here.
Step 6: Safety, signage, and landscaping
The overall safety of your site is of the upmost importance, so it's crucial you take the proper measures to maintain a safe environment. In terms of equipment, signage with clear exercise instructions must be placed on every piece throughout the park. When it comes to surfacing, it's important to consider the walkways to and from the area as well as surfacing around the equipment. For on-site surfacing, we recommend a poured-in-place, seamless rubber surface. This type of material is safe as it can be installed at different levels of thickness, depending on the fall height requirements. Poured-in-place solutions also ensure accessibility and inclusivity, allow for designs in the surfacing, and are extremely low maintenance.
For your outdoor calisthenics park build, you'll also want to include carefully thought-out landscaping to attract users. Additionally, consider adding park amenities such as tables and benches as well as water fountains and bathrooms. By doing so, you'll ensure users will feel safe and welcome, encouraging them to come back time and time again.
Step 7: Maintenance services
Once your outdoor calisthenics park is complete and ready for your community to enjoy, it's time to establish a regular maintenance routine. A thorough maintenance routine involves everything from regular cleanings and upkeep of the grounds to scheduled inspections, checking for hazards, ensuring the equipment is in working condition, and making any necessary equipment updates or repairs. By being proactive and establishing this routine upfront, you are not only ensuring a safe environment for patrons, but also avoiding unnecessary stress caused by costly repairs or site closure. You can learn more about proper site maintenance in our Maintenance and Repair Guide.
If you'd like assistance with maintaining your site, our KOMPAN maintenance team has vast experience with after-service care. We offer high-quality service and maintenance agreements – from complete, all-inclusive Expert Maintenance Agreements to simpler repair agreements, so no matter your need or budget, we have a solution for you.
Frequently asked questions
Does calisthenics require equipment?
At its essential core, calisthenics does not necessarily require any equipment; anyone can do it at home. But, equipment can improve efficiency and allow for more and better workouts, promoting better public health. Thus, installing calisthenics parks can be seen as the most cost-effective way of improving the health and happiness of a whole community.
How to get the HOA to build a calisthenics park?
If you need the HOA to sign off on your project idea, your brief should contain arguments around increasing value, encouraging healthy habits and enhancing community feeling.
Have questions about how to plan an outdoor fitness area?
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Calisthenics park design ideas
Get inspiration from these calisthenics parks around the world
